Walking about

Under a green canopy 29th July 2017 The small village of Walkerburn straddles the A72 as it runs west from Galashiels before disappearing into the wilds of South Lanarkshire. A former mill town, the surrounding hills now provide new wealth from the timbers grown on them and the bike riders that make use of the tracks and pathways that run through them. On this blustery Saturday in late July we make use of these same forest roads to complete an 8 mile circular walk beginning and ending in the small car park that sits adjacent to the River Tweed. This is not a   difficult route, the most strenuous section is the long slow pull up to the height of Middleburn Knowe, a top of 414 metres. After passing through the settlement at Glenbenna we keep to the side of a small stream before a sharp turn left starts us on the upward pull. At this junction sitting proudly by the roadside and entangled by some long grasses, sits an impressive stand of Shaggy Ink mushrooms; columns of whi...

'Duchess walk' - Bowhill:- Selkirk July 15th At one time ownership of land in Scotland was distributed based on loyalty to King or Queen. From such beginnings the great sporting estates of Scotland were born. Bowhill on the   banks of the   river Yarrow, in the Scottish Borders, is one such example Gifted to the Scott clan in 1322 by Robert the Bruce for services rendered it has,   despite some upheavals over the years,   remained largely intact as a   country estate. The house and gardens are now in the ownership of the Buccleugh family, ancestors of the Scotts. On a damp sultry Saturday we park up on the edge of the estate and take the so called ‘Duchess track’ that provides a circular route of seven miles, through and around this settled realm. Heading away from the main house we quickly find ourselves alongside the tower house of Newark castle. In good condition despite it’s nearly 700 years of existence. One of many Border keeps built to ...

Up and down the River Tweed 8th July 2017 A warm summers day sees us walk a stretch of the River Tweed where it bisects the B6404 between St Boswells and Kelso in the Scottish Borders. At this point the river loops back and forth on itself, carving a path that creates waterside cliffs of red sandstone on one side, on the other, flat flood plains that quickly give way to fertile farmland. We park close to the riverside before crossing Mertoun Bridge to drop to the water’s edge down some timber steps. Our route keeps us close to the water throughout, running three miles east before re-crossing the river on the foot bridge adjacent to Mertoun house before returning on the far bank.   The outward stretch sees the track rise and fall through the dips and hollows of the high ground that lines this side of the river. Wooden steps and walkways allow for easy navigation, the high sections through woodland opening at times to expose slices of the river, glistening and bright in the m...

Highs and lows of the Pentland hills The Pentland hills sit to the south of Edinburgh, running in a line for twenty miles west to the Clyde valley. The city itself occupies a strip of land between the high ground and the shore of the Firth of Forth, while further to the south, across a wide fertile plain, the Border hills edge the sky line.   Driving out of the city on the A702, we park up at the Flotterstone Inn , finding a place in a crowded car park. The day is warm and bright, with some light showers forecast for early afternoon. The good weather has brought out walkers and cyclists and we pass many of them throughout the coming hours. Most friendly and happy to exchange greetings, others with clear ‘do not disturb’ demeanours. march on avoiding any eye contact. The early section involves a fairly steep pull up across open hill side with views gradually opening up from the south flank of the range. We reach the top of Turnhouse hill within 40 minutes, the first in a l...

Blossoms and storm clouds   The last few days have seen a high pressure system move across the UK from the near continent producing a hot and humid end of May. The week itself dominated by the Manchester bombing, the inexplicable having to be lived with, as always we carry on. The high pressure now gets pushed back and Atlantic fronts reassert themselves but not before a dramatic period of thunderous weather has its say. This is promised from mid-day so we set out prepared to encounter a deluge at some point. The objective this week is Neidpath hill, sitting between Galashiels and Yair forest to the south. The route starts from Glenkinnon forest car park, runs back along the River Tweed to Yair bridge, joins the Southern Upland way as it heads west, loops steeply uphill to the top of Neidpath hill before completing the circuit by a return path to the opposite bank of the river and a short march through farmland to the stone bridge arching the river, close to the starting ca...

Around about Smailholm Sunday 21st May The town of Galashiels sits within a horseshoe of low hills, with the ‘opening’ facing east towards the coast. Once you break free from the high ground you meet the low rich farm lands of Berwickshire running in easy sways and kleefs for nearly forty miles to the rough and dreary North Sea. The wide undulating valleys are topped with occasional small rocky escarpments, it is along one of these we find the main section of our route one blustery Sunday morning in late May. The small hamlet of Smailholm is our starting point to a   circular route that takes us first to the 15 th century Smailholm tower, standing sharp and proud, dominating the skyline. As a child Walter Scott stayed nearby, his boyish imagination inspired by the tower and its history. The summer holiday season sees a warden in situ. He provides a fascinating and succinct history of this Scottish keep and the warring factions that marauded across these lands four to fiv...

. Bluebells and bird song A cold wet day sees us seek a sheltered river side walk along a stretch of Leader water. This tributary of the Tweed runs from the small town of Earlston to enter the main river below Leaderfoot bridge. Not far away the old Roman fort of Trimontium sits above this watery meeting spot. This section of the Leader sits within a narrow gorge producing an undulating path that dips between river side and the   higher ground above, producing views across the surrounding farm land or down into the river valley. The well-tended track, in place since 2010, runs either side with a metal foot bridge traversing a narrow canyon section about four kilometres from our starting point, allowing for an easy looped walk of about three hours.  The walk is dominated by the seasons awakening. We are accompanied throughout by a cacophony of bird song. Chaffinches, blue and grey tits, bullfinches,  pigeon, blackbirds and crow are everywher...